The latest news and sale fares from Carnival

The holiday season may be upon us, but the folks at Carnival are still hard at work. On Monday, the cruise line announced its intention to build a new ship. Today, Carnival has put three- to five-night cruises on sale.

Carnival has put in an order with Fincantieri shipyard for a new 130,000-ton, 3,652-passenger ship to debut in 2010. The ship will be a sister to Carnival’s 2009 delivery, and the two will be the start of a new ship class for the cruise line. This announcement puts the total number of ships on order for Carnival to four.

While you’re waiting for those new ships to launch, you can pass the time on Carnival’s existing fleet. Today only, you can find three-night sailings from $179, four-night sailings from $199, and five-night sailings from $209. These limited-time sale fares are available on select winter cruises. You’ll need to request fare code CPDW when making your reservations.

Then, perhaps, someone will let the folks at Carnival have a rest.